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I have a fairly new (to me) Handi-Rifle in 280 Remington and wonder if it would be OK to use a neck sizing die. I have fired a couple of boxes of factory ammo and several "full throttle" handloads. All brass slides in and out of the chamber easily and fits well in a cartridge gauge. I have full length resized in the past, but think this might be a way to prolong the life of the brass. Any thoughts?
You can neck size for awhile. but eventually you will need to gull length resize, the case will eventually expand past the memory point and become tight. The number of firing will depend on rounds intensity, loads intensity, brass used
The least amount of working your brass the longer it will last.
All not true for a break action single shot. If you size the brass to give 0.001" of space between the case head and breachface, this is where you should always size to for proper case life, accuracy, and ignition. Break action single shots like the T/C Contender, Encore, and H&R will flex the action at peak pressure. A round sized to 0.001" of headspace clearance will protrude up to 0.012+" after firing. If you just neck size, the action may not close worst case or if it does close, you will heavily preload the frame. It is very evident when you're working up loads, then later neck size those test cases. Each powder charge increment will have a different protrusion. If you don't buy all of this, go to Mike Bellem's website and read up on proper T/C headspacing. It is a well documented fact
I have a 280 Rem. Handi rifle and tried this exact thing when I first got it . I have Lee collet die set and found I could usually get a second loading doing just the neck sizing then the brass would need the shoulder set back a small amount . I found I could use a 30-06 sizing die with the depriming stem removed to set the shoulder back on the 280 brass.
It takes a very fine adjustment to get it near zero headspace and the gun to close easily.
Jedman
Just be sure and check the length of the fired brass after you size it. Some Handi chambers are a bit long. At least that was the problem that I had with my .270
I only size my 45/70 cases about 1/2" . Set up the full length die to get the sizing I want. Bullets are seated approx 1/2" into the case. This is for a Ruger #1 45/70. I have a carp mouth lead which basically starts where the chamber ends. I have been seriously considering having the throat reamed to allow fatter bullets to be seated out further. The throat is .459" Frank
I would avoid upper end loads in the handi with a bottleneck cartridge. Repeated firing of max loads will alter the pivot engagement and/or latch engagement. You will be able to see a bit of gap at the top of the barrel/breech face. I had a handi in 270 win and it took less than 100 upper end rounds to bugger the lockup.
BB
I gave up on neck sizing in the early 70's regardless of the type of action it was used in.
if the cartridge is oriented in the chamber, it won't matter what the action is, if the brass is only neck sized (and trimmed, if need be), and fed single shot. essentially, that's fire formed brass, whether straight .45-70 or a necked .30-06. neck tension is a whole 'nother issue.
I adjusted my .45-70 die to only neck size and the results are good so far in my Henry single shot. I'm just using mild loads with Unique.
I used to neck-size but finally gave it up for the aforementioned reasons.
If you're neck-sizing only, you're still sizing the neck every time. If the majority of properly loaded cases, fired in mechanically sound barrels fail at the neck (as it seems to me they do), then full-length sizing really doesn't 'wear out' your brass; sizing the body has no affect on the neck.
There was a video posted somewhere on CB last year featuring a couple of dozen bench rest shooters (guys who actually won, and you'd probably recognize a handful of the names). All of them said they size full-length.
I just like the fact that I don't have to lube the cases. I can still get plenty of firings out of them either way.
A straight walled case with minimal neck sizing and periodic annealing will last forever.